Oceanic - Isis > Reviews > Oceanic... powerful as the sea

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Original, powerful, ground - breaking album
Disadvantages:	Not "immediate" if you need your music to be catchy

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

"Oceanic" is about as appropriate a name as one could possibly think of for this album by avant-garde post-metal band Isis, from 2002. Think of the breadth and power of the ocean, the depth and mystery of the water, and Isis have- perhaps unwittingly, perhaps not- given this album a name that sums up their sound pretty much perfectly.

What makes this piece of work particularly interesting is that it captures the band at a time which forms a bridge between their earlier, more "hardcore" phase, and their later, even more polished and avant-garde direction. They had by this point evolved from being a heavier-than-anything (and quite shouty) metalcore band, into an outfit that were no longer afraid to evolve and show progressive, experimental touches to their music.

Many of these tracks are by no mans short. "Weight", for example, is over ten minutes long, a meandering but beautiful piece that heads purposefully, almost menacingly towards its final crescendo.

Meanwhile, "Carry" begins with a subtle, quiet intro that builds into a powerful, almost of wall-of-noise tornado of music and texture.

Each track manages to convey an almost elemental, urgent force that few other bands can hope to match in any of their songs. On "Oceanic", Isis manage this not just with sheer talent but with an almost unmatched consistency. You won't find a single bad track on this album.

Such variations and subtleties set "Oceanic" apart from (and ahead of) what few contemporaries they have. The album has been called "metalcore", "post-hardcore", "post-rock", "avant-garde metal" and so on... and numerous other hastily concocted genres have been applied by the music media in their typical attempt to pigeonhole a band that frankly is almost impossible to pigeonhole, something that this album showcases to brilliant effect.

The full tracklisting is as follows:

1. The Beginning and the End
2. The Other
3. False Light
4. Carry
5. (has no title, mysteriously)
6. Maritime
7. Weight
8. From Sinking
8. Hym

The track names for me conjure up pretty much a very accurate image of what the band is about on this album in particular- a dense, almost oppressive, but curiously uplifting (because of the sheer quality and originality of the music) experience.

This is an album to explore- not a piece of work in which to find throwaway singles or immediately catchy choruses. The music grows and grows- by which I mean on a subconscious level. You may find yourself liking it almost before you realise...